rituals for computer operation                     
                                                              
¨¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ##¨¨¨¨#¨#¨
¨########¨                                          ¨#¨¨¨####¨
#¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨ the  computer is  a  very common tool in ##¨¨#¨¨¨#¨
#¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨ the  futures, and in some ways even now. ¨#¨##¨¨###
#¨¨¨¨¨#¨#¨ its  job is to do vast amounts of  small ###¨#¨#¨¨¨
#¨¨¨¨##### calculations in a  short amount of time. ¨¨#####¨¨#
#¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨#                                          ¨#¨¨¨¨#¨#¨
#¨¨##¨¨¨## most work on the  principles  of  posing ##¨¨¨#####
#¨#¨#¨¨#¨¨ the  problem on  a hilbert  plane, which ¨#¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨
#####¨##¨¨ is  then  folded  out  of  causality, so ##¨##¨¨¨¨#
¨¨¨¨##¨#¨# that  daemons  can  solve   the  problem ¨##¨#¨¨¨#¨
¨¨¨#¨#####    without affecting real life. (these   #¨###¨¨##¨
¨¨###¨¨¨¨# daemons  are  under  contract  with  the ##¨¨#¨#¨#¨
¨#¨¨#¨¨¨##         computer manufacturer.)          ¨#¨######¨
##¨##¨¨#¨¨                                          ###¨¨¨¨¨#¨
¨##¨#¨##¨#   it's commonplace for programmers and   ¨¨#¨¨¨¨###
#¨####¨### clerks  to  pray to  the "gods" of their ¨##¨¨¨#¨¨#
##¨¨¨##¨¨¨ computer,  or to the  daemons  doing the #¨#¨¨##¨#¨
¨#¨¨#¨#¨¨# work,  for  a   quick   and  fault  free ###¨#¨####
##¨####¨#¨                operation.                ¨¨####¨¨¨#
¨##¨¨¨####                                          ¨#¨¨¨#¨¨#¨
#¨#¨¨#¨¨¨¨      some ubiquitous and generally       ##¨¨##¨##¨
###¨##¨¨¨¨    non-controversial rituals include:    ¨#¨#¨##¨##
¨¨##¨#¨¨¨#                                          #####¨##¨¨
¨#¨###¨¨#¨      ««# light a scented candle #««      ¨¨¨¨##¨#¨¨
###¨¨#¨###        ««# for quiet and calm #««        ¨¨¨#¨###¨¨
¨¨#¨###¨¨¨                                          ¨¨###¨¨#¨#
¨###¨¨#¨¨¨     ««# recite a mantra or other #««     ¨#¨¨#¨####
#¨¨#¨##¨¨¨    ««# reassuring message to make #««    ##¨###¨¨¨#
#¨###¨#¨¨¨     ««# the computer comfortable #««     ¨##¨¨#¨¨#¨
##¨¨###¨¨¨            ««# and at ease #««           #¨#¨##¨###
¨#¨#¨¨#¨¨¨                                          ####¨##¨¨¨
####¨##¨¨¨     ««# some like to say a brief #««     ¨¨¨##¨#¨¨¨
¨¨¨##¨#¨¨#     ««# prayer for solace, to be #««     ¨¨#¨###¨¨#
¨¨#¨###¨#¨   ««# left alone during their work #««   ¨###¨¨#¨##
¨###¨¨####                                          #¨¨#¨###¨#
#¨¨#¨#¨¨¨#   ««# offer a cup of steaming tea #««    #¨###¨¨###
#¨####¨¨##    ««# or a meal to the machines #««     ##¨¨#¨#¨¨¨
##¨¨¨#¨#¨¨     ««# (sometimes, by fey rules, #««    ¨#¨####¨¨#
¨#¨¨####¨¨     ««# the daemons are allowed #««      ###¨¨¨#¨#¨
##¨#¨¨¨#¨#        ««# to respond to this) #««       ¨¨#¨¨####¨
¨###¨¨####                                          ¨##¨#¨¨¨##
#¨¨#¨#¨¨¨# «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« #¨###¨¨#¨#
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           would    you    consider    code    golf           
           to     be    a    kind    of     prayer?           
           as   in,    you   make   a   convoluted,           
           intricate,   beautiful,   and    useless           
           artifact.  as   in,  you're  using  your           
           skills    to    ask    for    something,           
                                                              
           ...i'd   ask  for  a  handful  of  bugs?           
                                                              
           code    has    bugs,    lots    of   it.